Nurse: "There are a lot of unsung heroes"

Jon Nurse praised the strength in depth of the Barnet squad after seeing the Bees beat Aldershot 1-0 at The Hive on New Year’s Day to continue their unbeaten run throughout the Christmas period.

Barnet have now taken ten points from a possible twelve during the festive schedule with another game away to Lincoln City to follow on Sunday, and speaking after the game the player-coach said their good form is a testament to the squad’s quality:

“There are a lot of unsung heroes in our team; a lot of the plaudits go to the forwards because they score the goals that win the games. But we kept a clean sheet today and the team works religiously, day-in-day-out on the training pitch to go out and put a performance in like that to win 1-0 in those kind of games.

“The changes are the gaffer showing the belief he has in the squad and I think you have seen from today’s performance what a strong squad he has put together and the belief he has shown today worked in our favour.”

Martin Allen made three changes to the side that drew with Dover on Sunday, replacing wingers Lee Cook and Luisma Villa with Mauro Vilhete and Keanu Marsh-Brown, who started his first league match since August, and Nurse believes the two players provided a perfect example of just how stiff competition for places is at the moment:

“Mauro just showed the strength in depth we have got in the squad when the gaffer can leave him out and put him back in and he puts in a performance like he did today.

“Keanu I thought was brilliant today. The gaffer spoke about him after the previous game and I think he has taken that on board with his performance today.”

Following the win over the Shots, Barnet now sit nine points clear at the top of the Vanarama Conference, and Nurse is confident that by sticking to the same values the side are more than capable of continuing their excellent form into the New Year:

“As you go throughout the season you start to the build the character that you are talking about, that the players had to show today.

“A lot of it is mental and physical because they have to be physically right to play that many games in a short space of time.

“The boys will perform as they have done throughout the whole season and show true grit and determination to get the performances and results that we deserve.”